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A pilot was killed when his Cessna 182 hit a radio tower guy wire, then impacted terrain, just 30 seconds after posting a video to Snapchat. The NTSB final report said the pilot was distracted by his phone and did not maintain adequate visual lookout to avoid the radio tower and wires.
On May 17, 2021 a 23-year-old pilot was conducting a low-altitude pipeline patrol flight in St. Louis, Michigan, flying between 475 and 800 feet in the last 4.5 minutes of the flight. The plane departed Clare Municipal Airport (48D) and completed a pipeline patrol flight to the southeast. The plane landed at Romeo State Airport (D98) and the pilot purchased 48.19 gallons of 100 low-lead aviation fuel before departing. The pilot crashed during a pipeline patrol flight that tracked northwest toward Kalkaska, Michigan. In the final minutes of the flight, the plane's ground track was offset to the right of the pipeline before it crossed over the pipeline, continuing northwest about 1,000 to 1,250 feet to the left of the pipeline. The operator reported that the plane should be flown to the right to ensure the pilot seated in the left cockpit seat was able to maintain a clear view of the pipeline during a patrol flight.Radar track data
Two individuals reported that the pilot had posted a video on the social media platform Snapchat before the crash. The video reportedly showed the terrain ahead of the plane, as well as wind turbines and cornfields located roughly 5-10 miles southeast of the crash site. The videos on Snapchat are automatically deleted after 24 hours, but it reportedly did not contain any video of the final moments of the flight. An individual provided a screenshot of the Snapchat map which showed the approximate location of the pilot when the video was posted. Compared to the plane's radar ground track, the video was posted about 1.5 miles southeast of the radio tower. The NTSB said this was likely about 35 seconds before the crash.
Based on the radar data, the plane continued northwest toward the tower and when it reached 0.65 miles southeast of the tower it was in a shallow right turn before entering a climb from 475 feet. The final radar return was about 600 feet east-southeast of the tower and the plane's altitude, calibrated airspeed and climb rate were roughly 1,370 feet msl, 104 knots and 1,575 per minute. The plane's final altitude was 370 feet below the top of the tower and the ground track was toward the guy wires on the northeast side. Based on the ground track and increasing climb rate, the pilot was likely attempting to avoid the guy wires in the last moments before the crash.
Upon hitting the wire, the left wing was separated from the fuselage at the wing root and the plane impacted a dirt field about 0.3 miles northeast of the tower. A post-impact fire ensued, destroying most of the plane. Examination of the wreckage did not indicate any malfunction or failure that would have impeded normal operation. All damage was consistent with the impact with the tower guy wire, impact with the ground or the post-accident fire.
The use of his phone likely impeded his situational awareness and therefore his ability to avoid the wires and ultimately leading to the deadly crash. The use of personal devices while flying can seriously increase the risk of a crash occurring. Reuters reported that a pilot in 2014 was taking selfies on a series of short flights in Colorado before he crashed, killing himself and a passenger. The Globe and Mail reported that before a 2012 fatal crash, a pilot received three texts and spent 28 minutes on his phone, causing several fluctuations in his altitude during the flight before he crashed. CNN reported that a helicopter pilot on a medical transport flight was texting with one hand and flying with the other, missing two notifications that the copter did not have sufficient fuel for the trip. The pilot reportedly picked up the patient at the hospital and chose an alternative stop for fuel but was again distracted by a text conversation, running out of fuel and crashing a mile short of the destination and killing himself, the patient and two medical personnel.RELATED STORY:The dangers of distracted flying - tips to stay focused in flight
The NTSB recommends the nonoperational use of personal electronic devices be avoided while flying. Distracted flying can reduce situational awareness and increase the risk of a crash. The NTSB also recommends the establishment of a sterile cockpit procedure to reduce distractions. The FAA has guidelines for flight crews operating commercial flights, requiring a sterile cockpit. These regulations ensure the pilots and crew are only performing the tasks at hand and there are no distractions, including phones. The regulations do not apply to general aviation pilots, meaning without self-regulation, there is a greater risk of distracted flying. The NTSB recommends pilots enforce their own sterile cockpit rules to reduce distractions and negate the use of a PED while flying.
"PED-related distraction has played a role, or at least been present, in accidents involving improper fuel management, loss of positional awareness, loss of automation mode awareness, collision with obstacles, and loss of control," the NTSB said. "Thus, pilots should avoid nonoperational use of PEDs during preflight planning and preparation to focus your attention on these critical tasks."